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Ever heard of foods that cause ear wax? The primary component of the foods that cause ear wax is dietary gluten.
Surprised? Don’t be. According to research, there are a lot of foods we consume daily that can be the reason behind our ears producing excessive wax1 i.e., we consume foods that cause ear wax sometimes unknowingly.
Intrigued to know more and how you can avoid foods that cause ear wax? Keep reading the article till the end then.
Everything You Need To Know About Ear Wax
Ear wax, which is mostly produced by the glands, in the skin, and inside the ear, is for the sole purpose of protecting the ear from external damage. Sometimes, your ear wax building might speed up on consuming foods that cause ear wax.
Although the production of ear wax is common for everyone, in some people, the production may be sped up naturally because of some factors –
- People who use a hearing aid.
- People who have skin problems or sensitive skin cells.
- People whose ear canal is shaped as if to resist the natural removal of the accumulated ear wax.
With age, ear wax production is more likely to increase, thus potentially leading to hearing loss. Ear wax is also produced in people who have a lot of hair in their ears.
Also, as stated earlier, gluten, caffeine, or even mere dairy products and other foods that cause ear wax can be the reason behind excessive ear wax build.
1. What Controls Ear Wax Build-Up?
Many factors are responsible for your ear wax buildup, its color, texture, and even its consistency. One’s environment plays a vital role in cerumen production, as working in dark and grim conditions can lead to you having a darker ear wax color as compared to others.
Again, the consistency of the sticky wax may differ based on your ethnicity, as Asians are more likely to have dry wax, whereas people from Africa are more likely to have wet ear wax. Diet is also an important control factor of ear wax production; some foods increase ear wax production, whereas others decrease it.
2. Why Does One Suddenly Have a Lot of Ear Wax?
Suddenly, your ear canal is clogged with a lot of ear wax. Your ears may become itchy all the time because of that. Thinking about seeking professional help? Know the reasons first.
Besides the consumption of foods that cause ear wax, hearing aids, and excessive earbud usage can cause a lot of wax formation, leading to an ear blockage in the long run.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Ear Wax Build
Can you think about the advantages and disadvantages of ear wax build? if not, check it out here.
1. Advantages
Ear wax reminds you of something gross and dirty and not at all of something with benefits, right? But, they are the reason your ears are in good condition.
Ear wax is a protective layer of wax produced from the glands inside that protects your ears from any external damage – be it excessive sound or any other unwanted factor, even pollen grains and tiny insects sometimes.
Because of the ear wax, the inner ear and other parts inside your ear are safe and away from any danger.
2. Disadvantages
Ear wax has way more disadvantages than advantages. When produced in enormous amounts and if not cleaned for a long time, Ear wax may cause ear blockage.
Again, if the ear wax is pushed deeper into the ear canal, it may lead to clogged ears.
Not only that, but it may also cause dizziness, nausea, infection, and even a ringing sensation in the ears.
How Can One Clean the Ear?
Although it may come to you as a surprise, this is indeed true that cleaning your ears with cotton buds is harmful, as it can result in irritation, harm your ears, or even create a blockage, if in any case, the cerumen is pushed deeper into the ears.
You should never use ear candles as they may cause casual burns on the outer ear.
Thus, one should seek medical help for removing ear wax2 before it causes further health issues and affects your body or leads to diseases that may cause inflammation.
1. How Often Should One Clean an Ear and When?
If your cerumen production is normal, you should let your ears do the work through its self-cleaning process and sometimes wipe the outer surfaces of the ears.
If the ear wax production is more than normal, you need to seek advice and treatment from a doctor. The common symptoms are clogged ears or earache.
Foods That Cause Ear Wax
Although, all the food items don’t cause ear wax, until and unless the foods are excessively rich in gluten or you have gluten intolerance. If you’re a victim of celiac disease, consuming even general food items may cause an increment in ear wax build.
1. Gluten Products
Food containing gluten tops the list of ‘foods that cause ear wax.’ Any food item which includes gluten can be the reason behind your excessive ear wax formation.
Although foods like wheat, barley, and rye are known as healthy food items, you should avoid these at all costs if you’re intolerant to gluten.3
2. Caffeine
Although a very rare case, one might be intolerant to caffeine as well, and that might be the reason behind the excess production of ear wax. As strange as it might sound, you should avoid chocolate as well if you are intolerant to caffeine, as caffeine is also one of the foods that cause ear wax.
3. Dairy Products
Ear blockage can be caused due to excess cerumen buildup, and you should probably stop the intake of dairy food items, including soy milk.
Foods that Reduce Earwax
Similar to foods that cause ear wax, certain food items actually help you prevent excessive ear wax build. Food items that contain high amounts of potassium, magnesium, vitamins, and several other healthy minerals, like bananas, garlic, broccoli, etc. known to be good for the ears and your hearing health.
However, these foods cannot reduce ear wax build completely. For reducing ear wax build, prevention is the first and foremost prescribed treatment, the easiest way being less consumption of foods that cause ear wax.
Other than that, certain food items like fish oil or other animal-based omega-3 supplements, or even Alaskan salmon, can reduce ear wax buildup or slow down the process.
Bottom Line
To have healthy hearing, proper control of diet is needed, and gluten-free alternatives should be consumed. You should take proper care of your ear and take the necessary steps to reduce the risk of ear infections.
Take up foods that reduce cerumen buildup and seek medical help for cleaning your ear once in a while.
One should never forget that foods that cause ear wax exist, and not altering the diet accordingly can lead to serious problems and infections.
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- Guest, J. F., et al. “Impacted cerumen: composition, production, epidemiology and management.” Qjm 97.8 (2004): 477-488. ↩︎
- Sharp, J. F., et al. “Ear wax removal: a survey of current practice.” British Medical Journal 301.6763 (1990): 1251-1253. ↩︎
- Balakireva, Anastasia V., and Andrey A. Zamyatnin Jr. “Properties of gluten intolerance: gluten structure, evolution, pathogenicity and detoxification capabilities.” Nutrients 8.10 (2016): 644. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
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